Video shows car being trashed beside a lake west of Campbell River

A video showing people trashing a car at a lake near Campbell River has surfaced and it has disappointed a man who donates his time to keep the Island’s backroads and sites clean.

“My initial reaction was shock and disappointment,” said Jamie Barth who posted the video on social media after it was sent to him on Monday.

The video shows individuals throwing a suitcase-sized speaker at a small car parked at Beavertail Lake 18 km west of Campbell River. The video also shows a pickup truck being driven into the rear end of the car. There’s no indication of whose car it is but the activity disgusted Barth who for years has been dedicated to keeping the mid-Island area’s backcountry clear of illegal dumping. He’s a member of the Facebook group Stop Comox Valley Illegal Dumping.

The site has been cleaned up and Barth believes it was the publicity generated by posting the video that prompted the clean up.

“I thank the individuals in the video for going back out to clean the site in question but truly believe that only happened because of the social media exposure,” Barth said.

Barth has seen much garbage dumping in the mid-Island’s backcountry but this was a new low in the disrespectful use of the access the public has to the Island’s forests. But he believes people who care about the woods and lakes can help police it.

“Within the various communities, local governments have worked to support volunteer activities as one part of their tool box to curtail this type of activity,” he said. “The most important tool we have as a community are the eyes and ears of the good people out in the forests and back roads.”